(Story has been updated)
Blaine Brewer admitted his becoming a head coach at East Ridge, or any other place for that matter, is ahead of schedule.
“It certainly has happened quicker than I thought it would,” the 24-year-old Brewer said Friday. “I’m really excited though.”
Brewer, who is from Memphis and attended Arlington High School where he played basketball and golf, has been named as the East Ridge girls’ basketball coach, taking over from Terrance Allen, who decided not to coach next season.
Brewer attended Tennessee-Chattanooga and graduated in 2013.
He taught and coached one year at East Hamilton Middle School, helping with the school’s baseball team.
He then moved to East Ridge prior to the 2014-15 school year.
Brewer recognizes the challenge he faces with the Lady Pioneers’ basketball squad.
“I’ve only experienced this for one year,” he said. “But I have heard it has been a rough stretch for the girls’ program. We need to have a change of mind-set by the girls. We need more involvement from the parents and more players involved.
“We have to gather support and improve the morale around the team. I want the girls going out there and working to win rather than just showing up and saying I’m on the basketball team. They have to have pride in East Ridge High School.”
The Lady Pioneers haven’t had a winning season since 2002-03, according to the coachT.com web site. In one three-year stretch from 2009-10 to 2011-12, East Ridge won just one game.
“East Ridge is worth the challenge,” Brewer said. “Within a few days of Terrance telling me he was stepping down, I talked to our principal (Tammy Helton) and told her I wanted to do this. I thought I had an advantage of already being in the building and I knew the girls.”
Brewer, who got the job on Tuesday, will meet with his returning players next week and start the process of trying to rejuvenate the program.
The Lady Pioneers will have seven returning players for the 2015-16 season – two juniors and five sophomores. Brewer said one player was lost to graduation and one is moving.
Brewer added that “three or four” players from the middle school could be assets to next year’s squad and has been told there may be other girls that may decide to join the team.
“We’ve got to work on the numbers,” he said. “We only had nine players last season. That’s what I’m talking about with involvement. We need girls to come out and play.
“I just got our schedule two days ago and we’ve lined up one Christmas tournament and looking at another. I’ve talked with our FCA representative about their summer camp and looking at a few others. I really want to meet with the girls and see who’s committed to the summer.”
Brewer also said East Ridge will start boys’ and girls’ golf teams next season and he will handle the coaching duties for those sports as well.
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)